Vietnam’s industrial production maintained strong momentum in the first seven months of 2026, with the index of industrial production (IIP) rising 11.4% year-on-year – the highest increase in the same period recorded in many years, driven by robust manufacturing activity and the commissioning of new production capacity.
The National Statistics Office reported that the July IIP rose an estimated 1.2% from the previous month and 14.5% year-on-year.
Industrial production expanded steadily as newly commissioned production facilities came into operation and businesses continued to scale up manufacturing, the office said.
Processing and manufacturing remained the key growth driver, with the July index increasing 15% from a year earlier. It was followed by water supply, and waste and wastewater management, treatment activities, up 14.9%; electricity production and distribution, up 12.5%; and mining, up 10.4%.
During the January–July period, processing and manufacturing grew 12% year-on-year, contributing 9.3 percentage points to the overall IIP expansion. Mining went up 6.6%, contributing 1 percentage point; electricity production and distribution rose 9.9%, adding 0.9 percentage points; and water supply, and waste and wastewater management, treatment activities climbed 10%, adding 0.2 percentage points.
Several major industries also recorded strong growth in July, including metal production (23.5%), motor vehicle manufacturing (16%), beverage production (15.7%), and the manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products and other transport equipment (both 13.5%).
Industrial production expanded across all 34 localities in the first seven months of the year. Provinces posting the strongest IIP growth, supported by processing and manufacturing, included Ha Tinh (34.6%), Quang Ninh (33.6%), Ninh Binh (27.4%), Nghe An (25%), Phu Tho (24.7%), and Thai Nguyen (21.4%).
Among key industrial products, motorcycles posted the fastest pace at 31.1%, followed by laptops (30.7%), rolled steel (24.7%), automobiles (24.3%), and processed aquatic products (21.2%), reflecting improving market demand and expanding production capacity.
However, output declined for several products, including NPK fertiliser (down 10.9%), monosodium glutamate (7.8%), leather footwear (4.9%), and cleaned coal (3.1%).
The industrial labour market also remained resilient. As of July 1, the number of employees working in industrial enterprises increased 1% from the previous month and 3.1% year-on-year, statistics show./.
